November 2008
Washington, DC, Area Events

Program Highlights

• Treaty of Paris
  In celebration of our new exhibit, “1783: Subject or Citizen?,” we present programs commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris. (November 12, 15, 19)
• African American History
  Critical Review of Race and Gender, 1968–2008, and African Americans and the Soil Conservation Service (November 13, 18)
• Veterans Day
  Examining the documents of World War I and the films of U.S. Army Air Forces First Motion Picture Unit (November 7, 12, 13, 14)
• Know Your Records Programs
  A variety of programs explore records held by the National Archives. (November 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 15, 18)

1783: Subject or Citizen?

This year marks the 225th anniversary of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution and reshaped modern North America. In celebration of our “1783: Subject or Citizen?” exhibit, we present programs commemorating this historic event.

Wednesday, November 12, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
North of the Border: The Counter Revolution
Join James Laxer, professor of political science at York University in Toronto as he discusses his book The Border. At the end of the Revolutionary War, tens of thousands of loyalists departed from the newly created United States of America, many of them going to the remaining British colonies in North America, which now compose parts of Canada. The American Revolution was a turning point for both the United States and Canada. The Canadian-American border is more than the meeting point between a superpower and its friendly northern neighbor. It distinguishes those who took one path out of the American Revolution from those who took another. This program is presented in partnership with the Embassy of Canada.

Saturday, November 15, noon–3 p.m.
Presidential Conference Rooms
Treaty of Paris Family Day
Discover the Treaty of Paris with hands-on activities that celebrate the newly formed United States of America.

• Sign and seal the Treaty of Paris
• Decipher Thomas Jefferson’s map code
• Dress in colonial costume and declare George Washington’s farewell address to the Continental Army
• Meet Gen. George Washington and signers of the Treaty of Paris
• Listen to early American music performed by Judy Cook
• Meet representatives from the Embassy of Canada
• Visit the Document Exploration Station in the Boeing Learning Center

Saturday, November 15, at 3 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
Treaty of Paris Film Series
This film series features Hollywood’s depiction of the events leading up to and during the Revolutionary War and the postwar westward expansion enabled by the Treaty of Paris.
Johnny Tremain
The highly acclaimed novel by Esther Forbes provides the basis for this stirring Disney film about a young Boston silversmith apprentice and his involvement in America’s fight for independence. Directed by Robert Stevenson. Rated G. (1957, 80 minutes)

Wednesday, November 19, at noon
Jefferson Room
Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War
Between 1775 and 1783, some 200,000 Americans took up arms against the British Crown. Just over 6,800 of those men died in battle. About 25,000 became prisoners of war. Most of these patriots were confined in New York City under conditions so atrocious that at least 17,500 perished from disease in the overcrowded, makeshift collection of prisons. Join us as author Edwin Burrows discusses Forgotten Patriots, the first-ever account of what took place in the British prisons. A book signing will follow the program.

African American History

Thursday, November 13, at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
Lifting the Double Burden: A Critical Review of Race and Gender, 1968–2008; A Conversation on the Struggle of Black Women
The 40 years since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., provide a lens through which we can examine the impact of race and gender on the lives of African American women. The National Archives Experience, the Afro-American History Society of the National Archives (AAHS), and the National Archives for Black Women’s History located at the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site present a panel of distinguished speakers conversing on the plight of black women. Following a historical overview by author, historian, and educator Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, an esteemed panel including Cheryl Janifer LaRoche, archaeologist and University of Maryland at College Park professor in American studies, and Avis A. Jones-Deweever, director of research, public policy, and information at the Center for African American Women of the National Council of Negro Women, will address the question, “Does the ‘double burden’ remain a reality for two generations of women?” Lisha Penn, an archivist and president of the AAHS of the National Archives will make welcoming remarks.

Tuesday, November 18, 10:45 a.m.–noon
Room 4340, National Archives at College Park
History of Soil Conservation and African Americans
Douglas Helms, a historian with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, will speak about “The History of the Soil Conservation Service and African Americans.” This program is presented by the Afro-American History Society of the National Archives.

Veterans Day

Friday, November 7, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
90th Anniversary of the End of World War I: Remembering the American Experience
Archivists Timothy Nenninger, Mitch Yockelson, and Rich Boylan discuss NARA’s historical documents relating to World War I and how researchers have used them. Historians Edward M. Coffman, author of The Regulars, and Douglas C. Waller, author of A Question of Loyalty, will provide historical insight into some important facets of World War I and why the American experience is largely forgotten. A book signing will follow the program.

Wednesday–Friday, November 12, 13, 14, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
From The Vaults: Films of the U.S. Army Air Forces First Motion Picture Unit—Keep ’Em Flying
Between 1942 and 1945, the U.S. Army Air Forces’ First Motion Picture Unit (FMPU) produced more than 300 films to train and boost the morale of its airmen. Established by newly commissioned Lt. Gen. Jack L. Warner, the FMPU used talent trained at the Hollywood studios in its productions. As a result, the films display a level of creativity and production values that set them apart from typical Government fare. This week, we present a three-program selection of FMPU films compiled from the motion picture holdings of the National Archives by Daniel Rooney, an archivist in the Special Media Services Division. Included will be such films as Land and Live in the Jungle (1944) with Van Heflin, Photographic Intelligence in Bombardment Aviation (1943) with Alan Ladd, and Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter (1943) with Ronald Reagan.

Know Your Records Programs: November

Tuesday, November 4, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
U.S. Army Indian Scouts
Trevor Plante will discuss unique records at the National Archives relating to Native Americans who served in the U.S. Army as Indian Scouts from 1866 to 1914. The presentation includes a discussion of records relating to military service as well as pension application files. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, November 6 at 11 a.m.).

Wednesday, November 5, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Introduction to Genealogy
Archives staff will present a lecture on basic genealogical research in Federal records. This lecture occurs on the first Wednesday of the month. The next weekday lecture will take place on December 3.

Wednesday, November 12, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
“In the King's Service": Hugh Finlay and the Colonial American Postal System
Using pre-Federal records in the custody of the National Archives, Alison Gavin will construct the argument that American colonists’ refusal to adapt to the British postal system was an indication of rebellion on the eve of the Revolutionary War.

Saturday, November 15, at 10 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Introduction to Genealogy
Archives staff will present a lecture on basic genealogical research in Federal records on selected Saturdays.

Saturday, November 15, noon–4 p.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
“Help! I'm Stuck”
Not sure where to begin your research? Is there a genealogical or historical problem that has stumped you? Would you like to explore new directions in your research? On selected Saturdays, an archivist will be available from noon to 4 p.m. to answer questions. Look for the sign at the Research Center desk reading, “Help! I'm Stuck.” The next weekend offer will be on Saturday, January 24.

Tuesday, November 18, at 11 a.m. and noon
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
From the Records Book Group and Program
Following a related presentation on this topic, Assistant Archivist Michael Kurtz will moderate the book group discussion of Lost Museum: The Nazi Conspiracy to Steal the World's Greatest Works of Art, by Hector Feliciano. Please check the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a special discount for book group participants. The February 2009 book selection will be The Pentagon: A History—The Untold Story of the Wartime Race to Build the Pentagon—and to Restore It Sixty years Later, by Steve Vogel.

Exhibits

Permanent Exhibits

Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom:The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are on permanent display in the Rotunda. "A New World Is at Hand" surrounds the Rotunda's centerpiece cases. Presenting a selection of milestone documents, the exhibit chronicles the creation of the Charters of Freedom in the 18th century and their impact on the course of history in the United States and around the world.

The Public Vaults: This interactive exhibit invites visitors into the stacks and vaults of the National Archives to explore the raw material from which history is made. From Washington's letters, Lincoln's telegrams, and FDR's fireside chats to UFO reports and declassified secrets of World War II, these documents chronicle both great national events and the lives of individual Americans.

Magna Carta: This foundation document of English common law was confirmed by Edward I in 1297. Only four originals of the 1297 Magna Carta remain, and only one permanently resides in the United States. Purchased by David M. Rubenstein in 2007, it is on loan to the National Archives. West Rotunda Gallery.

Special Exhibit in Washington, DC

1783: Subject or Citizen? For the 225th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War, the National Archives and Library and Archives Canada jointly created this exhibit, which reveals the untold story of the treaty and its effect on everyday lives and features valuable archival treasures from the vaults of both institutions, including the rarely seen American copy of the 1783 treaty. Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery October 3, 2008 through January 25, 2009.

A related exhibit, “Champlain's Dream,” with Samuel de Champlain’s notebooks and artifacts from the John Carter Brown Library, is at the Embassy of Canada Gallery, October 16–December 30. Champlain's Dream, a book by David Hackett Fischer, is to be published in October 2008 in the U.S. and Canada.

Special Exhibit in College Park, Maryland

Auditorium Lobby at the National Archives Research Center:

"The Long View" features digitally produced facsimiles of historic panoramic photographs from the Still Picture holdings.

The exhibit not only showcases the wide variety of panoramic techniques, but also includes National Archives records such as cartographic maps and patent drawings that relate to the photographs. Thirty-four panoramas and other records are on display and span the period from 1864 to 1997.
See more panoramas online.

Online Exhibits

Dozens of exhibits can be experienced online. Visit Now!

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